Did you know you can show up on Google even if you don't have a website?
Yip, for free.
Pretty awesome, right?
All you need to do is register on Google My Business! It helps you pop up in Google search results (even if you don't have a website). It's good for local SEO and can be used for businesses with a physical location, as well as online businesses that don't want to reveal their address.
So when anyone in your local area does a "near me" search (coffee shop near me, fitness instructor near me, web designer near me etc.), your business will show up in Google search results.
And all your business info, including phone number, opening hours, website address (if applicable), photos, general business information and customer reviews will appear.
So what are the benefits of claiming your listing?
It's FREE
You don't need an existing website
You can list your business with or without showing your physical address
You can manage your listing from a mobile app
Local customers can find you much more easily
This is a great place to demonstrate how you stand out from your competition
Once you've registered, Google will send you a postcard with a verification code on it. When you've been verified, here's what to do next:
Add your logo to help your clients recognise you
Include real photos of your business (avoid stock photos)
Ask your happy customers to add reviews on your listing. From your Home page, you’ll see the ‘Get more reviews’ card
Click on ‘Share reviews form’ to copy your short review URL
You can then copy and paste this link into your email and send it to your clients for them to fill in
When clients click on this link, they’ll be taken directly to your review page where they can rate your business and leave a review
Respond to all reviews
Keep your listing updated
Include your opening hours, as well as "special hours" for holidays when you open and close at different times
Click "edit info" in your Google My Business dashboard to check what other options are available for your particular listing type
Google My Business has it's own built-in analytics called Insights. You can check out how people found you, and whether they clicked on your website after finding you etc
And that's all folks!
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